Ferris State University

Code of Student Community Standards: General Residence Hall & East Campus Suite Policies

Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: December 7, 2017

In order to meet the educational and social needs of students, the University has established a set of community standards for each residence community. These standards are based upon four (4) fundamental rights of all University Housing students: … Be free of fear from intimidation and physical or emotional harm.

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Code of Student Community Standards: Student Dignity and Harassment Policy

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: February 14, 2017

Racial harassment includes any conduct, physical or verbal, that victimizes or stigmatizes an individual on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, or national origin. Such behavior could involve any of the following:

• The use of physical force or violence to restrict the freedom of action or movement of another person or to endanger the health or safety of another person;
• Physical or verbal conduct, intentional or otherwise, that has the purpose or effect of (or explicitly or implicitly threatens) interference with an individual’s personal safety, academic efforts, employment, or participation in University sponsored activities; or
• The conduct has the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working, learning or living environment.

Based on the definition contained in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines, adapted to include educational environments, sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: … Such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working, living or academic environment.

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Registered Student Organization Handbook: Use of Grounds Guidelines

Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: December 7, 2017

All registered student organizations (RSO), departments and individuals using designated outdoor spaces on the campus must not violate University policies, Federal, State or Local laws. This includes, but is not limited to:  … Unwelcomed actions or language that may be discriminatory, harassing, or harmful to an individual.

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Code of Student Community Standards: Sexual Misconduct Procedures

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: December 7, 2017

The University expects all students and employees to conduct themselves with dignity and respect for students, employees and others. It is each individual’s responsibility to behave in a civil manner and to make responsible choices about the manner in which they conduct themselves.

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Harassment is the creation of a hostile or intimidating environment in which verbal or physical conduct, because of its severity or persistence, is likely to significantly interfere with an individual’s work or education, or adversely affect a person’s living conditions.

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Freedom of Speech on Campus Policy

Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: December 7, 2017

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the government – including governmental entities such as state universities like Ferris State – from interfering with freedom of speech. The University recognizes the value of this and will safeguard individual’s constitutional rights. Although Ferris State University values a tolerant and civil campus environment, we cannot limit speech to only the inoffensive and comfortable. Sometimes we will need to agree to disagree, even when other’s opinions anger, sadden, frustrate, hurt, or offend us. As stated in San Francisco State University v. Reed, 523 F. Supp. 2d 1005 (2007), “Controversial expression…is the First Amendment’s highest duty to protect. By political definition, popular views need no protection. It is the unpopular notions that are in the greatest peril – and it was primarily to protect their expression that the First Amendment was adopted.” Sharing, arguing and dissecting varying opinions and ideas help people learn from one another and aid in the formulation and solidification of our own views.

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Code of Student Community Standards: Student Rights and Responsibilities

Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: December 7, 2017

Each Ferris State University student has the right to the following: … All the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States and the State of Michigan.

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Ferris State University, like all academic institutions, exists for the advancement of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the development of students, and the promotion of the general well-being of society. Free inquiry and free expression are indispensable to the attainment of these goals.

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Code of Student Community Standards: Freedom on the Campus and Uniform Regulations of Campus Activity/Facility

Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: December 7, 2017

1. The University may place reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on campus activity/facility use to the extent the restrictions are not based on the content of the presentation, are narrowly tailored to serve a significant institutional interest, and leave open ample alternative channels of communication. Such restrictions may relate to advance notice, security, parking, advertising, indemnification, insurance, health and safety, as well as other areas.

2. A request for a campus activity/facility use may be denied by the University, after proper inquiry, where the activity/event will constitute a clear and present danger to the University’s orderly operation because of the speaker’s advocacy of such actions as:

a. The violent overthrow of the government of the United States, the State of Michigan, or any political subdivision thereof;

b. The willful damage to, destruction of, or seizure and subversion of the University’s buildings or other property;

c. The forcible disruption of, impairment of, or interference with, the University’s regularly scheduled classes or other educational functions;

d. The physical harm, coercion, intimidation, or other invasion of lawful rights of the University’s officials, faculty members, or students; or

e. Other campus disorders of a violent nature.

For purposes of this subpart, “advocacy” means preparing the group addressed for imminent action and steeling it to such action, as opposed to the abstract espousal of the moral propriety of a course of action by resort to force; and there must be not only advocacy to action but also a reasonable apprehension of imminent danger to the essential functions and purpose of the University.

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Code of Student Community Standards: Harassment

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: December 7, 2017

Behavior that creates a hostile or intimidating environment in which verbal or physical conduct, because of its severity or persistence, is likely to unreasonably interfere with an individual’s work environment, education environment, or environment for participation in an University activities.

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